Anything that is created or implemented in XAML can be expressed using a more traditional .NET language, such as C# or Visual Basic.NET. However, a key aspect of the technology is the reduced complexity needed for tools to process XAML, because it is based on XML.[6] Consequently, a variety of products are emerging, particularly in the WPF space, which create XAML-based applications. As XAML is simply based on XML, developers and designers are able to share and edit content freely amongst themselves without requiring compilation.

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A XAML file can be compiled into a .BAML file (Binary Application Markup Language[7]), which may be inserted as a resource into a .NET Framework assembly. At run-time, the framework engine extracts the .BAML file from assembly resources, parses it, and creates a corresponding WPF visual tree or workflow.

When used in Windows Presentation Foundation, XAML is used to describe visual user interfaces. WPF allows for the definition of both 2D and 3D objects, rotations, animations, and a variety of other effects and features.

When used in Windows Workflow Foundation contexts, XAML is used to describe potentially long-running declarative logic, such as those created by process modeling tools and rules systems. The serialization format for workflows was previously called XOML, to differentiate it from UI markup use of XAML, but now they are no longer distinguished. However, the file extension for files containing the workflow markup is still "XOML".[8][9]

This can be integrated into a Web page if WPF is installed using XBAPs (XAML Browser Applications) that are compiled applications running in a sandboxed environment hosted within the browser. Another way is to use the Silverlight plugin. The code cannot be included directly in an HTML page; rather it must be loaded into the page via JavaScript. If .NET 3.0 or later is installed, loose XAML files can also be viewed on their own in a compatible Web browser (including Internet Explorer and Firefox) in conjunction with the .NET Framework 3.0, without the need for the Silverlight plugin.[12] Loose XAML files are markup-only files limited to defining the visual content to be rendered. They are not compiled with an application.

Additionally, the XAML parsing between Silverlight 3 and Silverlight 4 is not 100% backward compatible; XAML files which are accepted by Silverlight 3 may not be accepted or parsed differently in Silverlight 4.[14]

The European Committee for Interoperable Systems said in 2007 that Microsoft's use of XAML in its Silverlight product aimed to introduce content on the World Wide Web that could only be accessed from the Windows platform.[15][16] Using a plugin, XAML is viewable in some non-Microsoft browsers on Windows, Linux, and Mac; and Microsoft supported Novell's Silverlight viewer for GNU/Linux called Moonlight.[17] As of January 2010, Moonlight 2 was compatible with Silverlight 2, but development of Moonlight was later discontinued.[18]

^unknown (2009-07-30). "What is BAML?". http://www.dotnetspider.com/: DOTNET Spider. Retrieved 2011-08-18. BAML means Binary Application Markup Language, which is a compiled version of the XAML. When you compile your XAML it creates the BAML file.

^"XAML Processing Differences Between Silverlight Versions and WPF". Microsoft. Retrieved 2011-10-02. Silverlight includes a XAML parser that is part of the Silverlight core install. Silverlight uses different XAML parsers depending on whether your application targets Silverlight 3 or Silverlight 4. The two parsers exist side-by-side in Silverlight 4 for compatibility. In some cases, the XAML parsing behavior in Silverlight differs from the parsing behavior in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). WPF has its own XAML parser.